What Telecom Brings to Ohio

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A big shift to mobile:

Data Consumption sees Huge Increase

COLUMBUS, Ohio (September 30, 2014): Smartphone screen time has surpassed TV viewing at 151 minutes per day versus 147 minutes for TVs, according to a new Ohio Telecom Association report.

And as the average household data download has increased 110 percent over last year, telecom companies are investing billions of dollars in updates to Ohio’s network.

“We’ve seen the demand for data take a dramatic increase in just this last year — a sign of just how fast Ohioans are converting to new technologies,” said Charles R. Moses, president of the Ohio Telecom Association.

The study found that Ohio’s 11.5 million people are using an estimated 11.8 million wireless phones, with an increasing number using different phones for home and work.

Moses said Ohio Telephone Companies are responding by investing $1 billion a year in upgrades. Without such massive investment, he said, the network would not be able to keep up with the demand.

The average household consumes 60 Gigabytes of data per month—that’s the equivalent of more than 5 million emails or surfing the Internet for approximately 100 hours each month. That figure has increased 110 percent in the last year alone. Part of the increase is driven by smart phones, which now represent more than half of all cellphones in Ohio.

“People want more and more information, and they want it fast,” Moses said. “We have to invest in faster systems to keep up with demand. ”

The new report, called “Telecom in Ohio,” found that 99 percent of homes and businesses in Ohio have access to broadband, while only 72 percent actually subscribe to it.

The report noted that much of the telecom network in Ohio is undergoing a radical transformation from the old copper phone wires and circuit-based switches to an all Internet Protocol (IP) system.  This will allow companies to operate more efficiently and provide greater capacity for consumers’ broadband activities. 

About us: The Ohio Telecom Association represents 42 phone companies and two wireless companies, many of which also provide Internet and subscription video services, as well as more than 100 vendors.  Telecom is a $20 billion a year industry in Ohio, and Ohio Telecom members employ nearly 16,000 Ohioans.

Click here to view the entire Telecom In Ohio 2014 Final Report